Most weeks I try out at least one new or updated distribution of Linux in an attempt to find a better, easier solution to run Trainz and hopefully one day overcome the Content Manager refreshing issue. For a change this week I tried out two fairly new applications with the aim of doing just that, Faugus Launcher and WinBoat.
Faugus Launcher in many respects is similar to the likes of Lutris or Bottles although it might be argued I found it very easy to set up on Linux Mint with a minimal interface as I only need to choose the OS i.e. Windows, and point to the TRS22.exe file to have it launch Trainz. Unlike others it uses ProtonPlay and is more akin to using Steam without the need to install Steam or have a Steam account. There are however many option to customize should you choose to get adventurous but I found were not necessary to get it up and running like some other similar solutions. Is it better than other options, personally I don’t think so, but its likely worth a try if only to rule it out as a contender for your particular setup.
WinBoat on the other hand couldn’t be more different in that it allows Windows applications to run on Linux using a containerized approach. Windows runs as a virtual machine inside a Docker container and is communicated with using Winboat Guest Server to retrieve the required data from Windows. While this may sound like other VM applications such as Virtualbox which are inherently resources heavy, in practice this is not, what’s more applications are displayed native on the Linux desktop and file systems can be shared between both Linux and Windows. Once up and running the interface is clean, simple and modern with all Windows applications displayed in a tiled window, no need for a Windows desktop, click once and they load.
Winboat is downloaded and installed like any other Linux software. There is an excellent installation guide which when run first time checks a number of requirement and guides you through the process of installing them and setting them up if they are not already available, before automatically downloading and installing a version of Window of your choice. Once complete you create a local account, any name and password, and its good to go. Fortunately other kind people have uploaded YouTube videos to guide you through this process making life even easier.
To good to be true, unfortunately at the moment yes, but even at Beta v0.8.7 and a health warning not for gaming, Trainz and in turn Kickstart County loaded and ran to desktop without issue. As for editing and driving sorry no-way but then that wasn’t expected. However while USB pass-through is only experimental, it does work very well and pass-through for graphics is an aspiration to satisfy business users having demanding graphic needs, which I would hope in turn will be advantageous to Trainz users. As for Content Manager issues under Linux, no longer an issue.
I hope this is of some interest and possibly worth following for the future. Peter
An overview of Winboat can be found at:
Faugus Launcher in many respects is similar to the likes of Lutris or Bottles although it might be argued I found it very easy to set up on Linux Mint with a minimal interface as I only need to choose the OS i.e. Windows, and point to the TRS22.exe file to have it launch Trainz. Unlike others it uses ProtonPlay and is more akin to using Steam without the need to install Steam or have a Steam account. There are however many option to customize should you choose to get adventurous but I found were not necessary to get it up and running like some other similar solutions. Is it better than other options, personally I don’t think so, but its likely worth a try if only to rule it out as a contender for your particular setup.
WinBoat on the other hand couldn’t be more different in that it allows Windows applications to run on Linux using a containerized approach. Windows runs as a virtual machine inside a Docker container and is communicated with using Winboat Guest Server to retrieve the required data from Windows. While this may sound like other VM applications such as Virtualbox which are inherently resources heavy, in practice this is not, what’s more applications are displayed native on the Linux desktop and file systems can be shared between both Linux and Windows. Once up and running the interface is clean, simple and modern with all Windows applications displayed in a tiled window, no need for a Windows desktop, click once and they load.
Winboat is downloaded and installed like any other Linux software. There is an excellent installation guide which when run first time checks a number of requirement and guides you through the process of installing them and setting them up if they are not already available, before automatically downloading and installing a version of Window of your choice. Once complete you create a local account, any name and password, and its good to go. Fortunately other kind people have uploaded YouTube videos to guide you through this process making life even easier.
To good to be true, unfortunately at the moment yes, but even at Beta v0.8.7 and a health warning not for gaming, Trainz and in turn Kickstart County loaded and ran to desktop without issue. As for editing and driving sorry no-way but then that wasn’t expected. However while USB pass-through is only experimental, it does work very well and pass-through for graphics is an aspiration to satisfy business users having demanding graphic needs, which I would hope in turn will be advantageous to Trainz users. As for Content Manager issues under Linux, no longer an issue.
I hope this is of some interest and possibly worth following for the future. Peter
An overview of Winboat can be found at: